Smog alert: France introduces alternate driving days in Paris for 1st time since 1997

A view of the Eiffel Tower seen through smog, on March 14, 2014, in Paris.(AFP Photo / Thomas Samson) / AFP

Air pollution refuses to dissolve in France, forcing the government to introduce alternate driving days in France’s capital, where pollution levels are on a level comparable with the world’s most notoriously smoggy cities such as Beijing and Delhi.

Not just the capital Paris, but all of France has been under
pollution alert of various scales for the last five days. The
government confirmed that pollution particulates in the air
exceeded safe levels in the capital and surrounding areas, with a
negative forecast for Sunday evening.

Paris authorities made their first move on Saturday, making all
public transport in the capital free to persuade citizens to
leave personal vehicles at home.

But pollution levels have fallen only slightly, so the
authorities opted for further restrictions for the first time
since 1997. On Monday, cars and motorbikes with uneven numbered
plates only will be allowed to drive on Paris streets.

Other measures to fight the pollution include restrictions on
speed and on burning fuel and the authorities are already
considering further “sanctions” against outraged drivers.

“This measure is worse than unfair, it is stupid,”
Pierre Chasseray, head of a drivers' association called 40
Millions d'Automobilistes, told AFP.

“I am amazed to see that a small lobby has managed to
convince people that cars were behind this peak in
pollution,” Chasseray said.

The official explanation of the ecological disaster is that a
combination of cold nights and warm days has prevented pollution
from dispersing.

On Friday the level of air pollution particles in Paris hit the
maximum of 180 micrograms per cubic meter, doubly the allowed 80
per cubic meter standard of the so-called PM10 pollution
particles created by heavy industry and vehicles.

The pollution particles in the air could cause respiratory
problems, such as asthma attacks, as well as lung cancer and even
cardiac disorders, according to the World Health Organization.

Valentin Foltescu, air quality manager at the European
Environment Agency, told AP that “there is a high correlation
of pollution of this kind and mortality,” warning that the
immediate health hazard is especially high for the very young and
old.

The critical situation with air pollution in Europe has continued
for days now as a belt of smog stretched for hundreds of
kilometers, from France's Atlantic coast through Belgium and
right into the territory of Germany, AP reports. The European
Environment Agency says this is the worst air pollution in France
since 2007.